Ivory Coast approves establishing US drones base on its territory
Ivorian authorities have given the United States the green light to establish a military base for operating drones in the central city of Bouaké.
The Ivorian and US sides agreed to this project during a meeting held on May 16 in Abidjan between Ivorian Defense Minister Téné Ibrahima Ouattara, US Ambassador Jessica Davis Ba, and General Michael Langley, Commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM).
According to the same media sources, some of which cited official sources, the agreed-upon base will be used to deploy the latest generation of drones for regional surveillance, intelligence gathering, and military operations against armed groups operating in West Africa.
This move comes after the US military announced last September the completion of its withdrawal from Niger, pursuant to an agreement with the authorities following the military coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
Following this, Washington suspended most of its cooperation with Niamey, including military cooperation.
After withdrawing approximately 1,000 troops from Niger, the United States announced it was exploring an alternative plan to deploy forces in West Africa.
US officials previously announced negotiations with several African countries on this matter.
